Turkey

Treat every internal flight in Turkey as a 5–6 hour door-to-door commitment, not a quick hop. The realistic math is 3 hours before departure plus airport transfer, 1–2 hours in the air, then another hour to your hotel. If you want Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Ephesus, you need at least six days—before adding any beach time.

Istanbul rewards three days (add Süleymaniye and Balat on day three), but for a five-day total trip, cap it at two. Cappadocia needs two to three days for balloons, Göreme, and a valley; one day only works if the balloon flies. Ephesus is a focused one-day site, though a flight day trip from Istanbul runs about 12 hours, so overnighting in Kuşadası often makes more sense.

Where to stay: near Ephesus pick Kuşadası as your base; in Istanbul choose Sultanahmet for sightseeing, Beyoğlu for evenings, or budget-friendly Kadıköy on the Asian side; in Cappadocia sleep in a cave hotel in Göreme or Uçhisar. On the coast commit to one base and price seven-day all-inclusive packages first — they are often cheaper than stitching stops together. And small family-run hotels usually answer direct emails with clearer cancellation terms than third-party listings.